"Big battle that night. Many kid die. Kid run right in front of me, get killed. You think you never can get used to a thing this sad, kid, dying, but"Big battle that night. Many kid die. Kid run right in front of me, get killed. You think you never can get used to a thing this sad, kid, dying, but you do. You think maybe you want to die also. But you don't. You not living. And you not dead. You living dead."

This story is based on 11-year-old Arn Chorn-Pond's childhood in Cambodia. Soldiers came to his town, and evacuated everyone who lived there. People were forced to give up their possessions, work long hours in the rice fields and obey these soldiers, who were called the Khmer Rouge. Many civilians died under the harsh conditions, and thousands were killed by the soldiers for disobeying orders. They are told that they are working for their country, for the good of everyone. Arn gets separated from his family, and realizes he has to fight for his own survival. Along with some other children, Arn is forced to learn how to play a musical instrument and must perform concerts for the soldiers.

This continues for years....the long hours, the starvation, and people dying and getting killed. One day things change. When Vietnamese soldiers invade the country, Arn is given a gun and required to fight, on the side of the Khmer Rouge. The same people who destroyed his life, and separated him from his family.

Arn is forced to do horrible things, but must do so in order to survive. As the war progresses, he hears of people escaping to Thailand and freedom. He makes his way to the border, and eventually finds himself safe, out of the hands of the Khmer Rouge and the killing fields.

McCormick tackles tough topics. This is no exception. War is violent, cruel and inhumane, and this book is not for the faint of heart. But Arn's story is an important one that should be heard. Good for 7th grade and up. ...more

Nick Lake has written a shockingly dark novel about Haiti, sharing two perspectives on the country's troubled history. Our first narrator is "Shorty,"Nick Lake has written a shockingly dark novel about Haiti, sharing two perspectives on the country's troubled history. Our first narrator is "Shorty," a fourteen-year-old gang member who is caught in the rubble of the Haiti earthquake. The hospital collapses on him while he is being treated for a gunshot wound. The next narrator is Toussiant l'Overture, the historical figure who led the Haitian Revolution against French colonization in the 18th century. Through some mystical voodoo vortex, the two men are able to channel each other in times of crisis, each catching a glimpse of a Haiti they do not know. Shorty has spent his life in the slums. He watched his father get murdered, his sister vanished without a trace, and his mother consistently struggles to survive. Toussaint was a slave in Haiti, yet rebelled against the institution, and his success in Haiti was instrumental in expanding anti-slavery movements throughout the free world.

I am still digesting this book. While I think it is well-written, fascinating and informative, I don't think it's got teen appeal. I was unfamiliar myself with the majority of historical Haiti references, and some of the street language, while authentic, was challening to follow. I would say it could be used as a tie-in to high school students researching Haiti's conflicts, but the graphic nature of the conflicts and the high use of profanity only make it suitable for older teens....more